Frequent flyer mile advice for those just getting into the game

Tag: Delta

Delta announced two changes at its Sky Club lounges yesterday, one good and one potentially bad. Here’s a quick peek: Goodbye, Day Passes Most people know that major airlines offer lounges, which are generally membership-based and charge a fee. What a lot of travelers don’t know, though, is that some airlines will sell non-members a …

Another week in the world of travel (and I still don’t have access to my Delta account)… Taking The Airlines to Court Feel like suing an airline? Okay, that’s a stupid question. Everyone has wanted to sue an airline at one time or another. Well congratulations, since somebody has done that for you. According to …

On Tuesday, I got the dreaded “We have frozen your account due to potential fraud” email from Delta. At first, I thought that it was simply spam but, after trying to log on, I realized that it was the genuine thing. No problem. Most companies would send a password reset to the address on file …

For those of you with elite status with an airline, particularly those at the top of the pyramid, you’ve probably gotten used to at least the occasional upgrade to First Class or whatever version of “Economy Plus” your airline has. I have some bad news: The airlines are working hard to make those upgrades go …

I’ll start by saying this: International business class is almost never cheap. Please don’t equate “for less” with “cheap.” One of the best uses of frequent flyer miles is international travel, particularly in premium classes of service. Airlines have made changes to their redemption policies that have made it more expensive, sometimes prohibitively so, …

Delta Airlines released earnings today and gave us a little color on what is going on in the industry. It was a quiet quarter, but there are a few tidbits worth noting. Your Ticket Costs Are Going Up… Delta noted that ticket price growth accelerated through the quarter and estimated that the second quarter would …

When airlines first launched frequent flyer programs, they only intended for the miles to serve as a device to influence your future flying behavior. I don’t think anyone imagined the extent to which miles would become such an integral part of travel, nor how profitable the venture could be. Over the past few decades, airlines …

Got a few extra hundred thousand points or so that you don’t know what to do with? No problem, travel providers have found a way to help you out. Auctions with Points Or Miles Sure, anyone can save up miles (or money, for that matter) to fly First Class around the world. But how many …

Nobody likes to check their bags when flying. It guarantees waiting at the carousel for an undetermined period of time when all you want to do is get out of the airport. But if you wait long enough and fly the right airline, it could be a profitable venture. Miles Or Money For Delayed Baggage …

It’s long been said that American carriers simply can’t compete with their foreign counterparts when it comes to an international premium product (or a domestic premium product. Or a coach product. But those are posts for another day.). And, at the very highest end, they can’t. Their shareholders demand returns on investments, and small palaces …